Transformers: The Crystal Nexus
by Erin Peepsta
Summary: Post DOTM. Cybrotron is gone, Megatron is dead and what's left of the Decpticon faction are far too weak in numbers to attack. Earth can rest easy...that is, untill a foolish girl accidently causes the old quarrel to be taken up once


'Shooting Stars'

Year: 1961

Autobots

The Ark, 40 clicks from a moon-and closing

All around the autobot team, alarms were blaring out warnings as every light flickered a deadly red in the cabin of the Ark. On the Ark's departure from the war torn planet of Cybortron, it had been hit by Decepticon fire that knocked out the navigation systems. Unable to steer, the ship was destined to crash into the grey moon. It was only a matter of time…

Earlier that day, on Cybortron

Cybortron was once a beautiful place, a serene planet of peace and unity. That was, of course, before the Decepticons started the war with the Autobots. Now, only a burnt decaying shell remains of the once prestige planet. War rages everywhere and no bot is safe.

A short, teal colored bot paused on the loading dock before the ark, looking out at the battle field as bots fought cons with no end in sight. Anger coursed through his wires as he griped his servos into tight fists. _Why do we continue to fight this war? _This question plagued his processor as he grits his dentals in useless anger.

The bot feels a presence stop next to him and gaze out on the battlefield with him. "Raytron, I know you are angry about this. But you will understand, in due time." Graveled the voice of an older bot. The teal bot, known as Raytron, turns to the bot and glares up at the red and black known as Sentinel Prime. Sentinel stood 4 feet taller than Raytron, and held himself like any Prime would: with dignity and importance. Something that only angered the teal bot even more, as he felt Sentinel was not true to the way of the Primes. Every bot felt that he was some sort of God, a sparkling of Primus himself. They foolishly believed him to be one of the bravest and caring bot to be named Prime. This made Raytron almost scoff out loud. If they knew of how their so called 'brave and caring' Prime was fleeing Cybortron with the only means to end this war, no doubt they'd think otherwise.

The prime regards him slightly, his glowing blue optics distant as Raytron's own blue optics stared back in insubordination. "I believe I understand perfectly clear, Prime." Raytron growled heatedly, "We're leaving our fellow bots to die while we escape with the technology capable of preventing anymore deaths. Tell me, what's there to understand!" For a moment, Raytron forgot who he was talking to.

Sentinel takes a threatening step towards Raytron, his full attention on the shorter teal bot. "I suggest you hold you tongue, soldier, when speaking to a higher up." He warns lowly. Passing bots slow down as they notice the confrontation, exchanging worried expressions with one another. Sentinel glances at them, shooting a look at them that causes the bots to scurry away in fear.

Raytron nods shortly, anger still prevalent on his face plate. "Yes, _sir." _He chokes out, trying to hide the anger in his words. The teal bot doesn't wait for an order to be dismissed as he turns heel and starts towards the Ark in a fast walk to get as far away as possible from the Prime. There was no doubt in his mind that if he had stayed there, his anger would have overcome him and yielded undesirable results.

"You are much like your brother, Raytron. Hot headed and always questioning orders…but some of my best men;" Sentinel calls after, causing Raytron to slow, "He'd be proud of you."

The bot stopped, lowering his processor as the visor on his helmet shielded his eyes. The rage had fluctuated slightly from Sentinel's comment, bringing up an emotion of grief in reference to his brother. But the old emotion of anger swept back in as Raytron frowned. "Yeah….and he'd still be alive if we had ended the war sooner." He comments dryly, entering the ship before Sentinel could rebuke.

The take off of the ship known as the Ark was nearly flawless; it nearly got off of Cybortron un harmed. That was, of course, before the Decepticons caught onto the escaping ship's signal and directed their fire to the ship. They were successful in knocking out the navigation systems of the Ark, but luck was on the Autobot's side as they escaped the cons' firing range and into space. That's where the luck, however, ran out for the Ark's crew. Unable to fix the navigation controls, the only option was to float through space and hope to land safely on another planet.

Or, a moon, which brings us to the Autobot's current predicament. Unable to steer, the Ark was heading straight toward this dark, grey and crater-filled moon. The Autobot crew knew they were going to survive the crash, knowing at the rate and speed they were going at was too fast for a safe landing. Sentinel, however, had a different plan for himself. While the rest of the crew was praying to Primus or trying hopelessly to figure out any mean of surviving, the Prime took five of the hundred of pillars the ship was transporting, the master pillar included, and hid in the crash vault. Raytron seemed to be the only bot to notice the leader's cowardice in action. The teal bot frowned deeply. _Good to see the Prime care so much for the rest of our survival…_

He approaches Sentinel who's busying himself with preparing the vault. "SENTINEL! What do you-" the lower ranking bot started heatedly, shouting over the blaring alarms.

Sentinel looks at him, smirking lightly. "Raytron, my boy! Just the bot I was looking for." Sentinel said, nervous tones hanging on his every word. The younger bot stands before the Prime, un-amused at his comment. If Sentinel thought he was going to trick him into letting him go, he was sadly mistaken. "Raytron, please. I know we've never seen eye to eye, but you have to listen to me. I must be saved with these pillars. When the time is right, I will come online and use these to bring Cybortron back." Sentinel started, talking so fast his words seemed to blur together.

"You're insane!" Raytron screams back, narrowing his optics at the older bot before him and the young bot took a step towards him.

Sentinel stands his ground and grabs the bot by the top of his chest plate, bringing him close to his face. "Listen, you no-good-back-talker! I'm doing this to protect Cybortron, to bring it back to its former glory. And I'm not going to let some lowly soldier prevent me from doing this." He snipes, pulling out his cosmic rust gun and aiming it at Raytron's face.

The younger bot held his stone hard face, paying no mind to the gun that was only a few inches from his face. He'd experienced plenty of this type of intimidation and he learned to not panic like a pathetic sparkling. "Sentinel, I never knew you to threaten and kill one of your own. That's very Decepticon of you." Raytron remarked with mock surprise.

The Prime growled darkly, Raytron's comment obviously striking a nerve in the older bot. Sentinel removes the gun from Raytron's face, but still holds the younger bot by the chest plate. "True, my young bot. That wouldn't fit my faction and role as a Prime, now would it? And I have need for you anyway." He states slowly, releasing the young bot from his grasp.

Raytron narrowed his optics, brushing off his chest plate, "Very well then. I'll help-for cybortron, not for you." He responded darkly, giving into the older bots demand, knowing they were running out of time before impact.

Sentinel nods, taking the comment. The Prime pulls out a small orb made of pointed crystal and another diamond shaped crystal. Raytron blinks, taking in the sight of the two objects in stunned admiration as he held them in both of his hands. Words seemed distant to the bot as his optics remained glued on the crystals. "This…is it, isn't it? The Crystal Nexus?" he breathes, holding the orb cautiously.

"Yes. I'm entrusting you with it, Raytron. I know you won't fail me. Now go, time is fleeting!" Sentinel shouts sharply, giving the younger bot the code for the escape pod. Raytron watched as the crashed vault closed with the Prime inside before remembering his own assignment. The bot raced to the escape pod and quickly made his escape right before the Ark collided with the surface of the moon. The pod is quite small but that mattered little to the Autobot as he tried to plot a course to somewhere safe. Thoughts swirled Raytron's processor, as he couldn't help but wonder why Sentinel had given him the Nexus to protect. Wasn't there room in the vault for it? Or did he think that it was best to split the technology up to avoid both from falling into the hands of the Decepticons? Raytron sighed, focusing his attention on the controls. The questions could wait, now he needed to find a planet to land on.

The computer comes up with the only reasonable option. It's the green splattered blue planet the moon encircled that sat as the resting place for the rest of Raytron's crew. Raytron sighed, silently praying for their return to Primus. The bot looks up and clicks a combination of buttons that cause the pod to navigate towards the unknown planet. Whatever resides on this planet couldn't be any worst than they ravenous Decepticons from Cybortron.

Bloomingdale, Michigan

Nate Sutherland sits on the cool grass hill, gazing up at the stars with his wife Hilary nestled in his arms. He smiles down at her with his blue hues, as she stares up at the sky in awe. This was the first time he had brought his wife out into the country side to see the stars-and he could tell this wouldn't be the last.

"The stars are so beautiful out here! Such a shame the city lights steal their light away near us." Hilary remarks sadly, pouting. The pout sat perfectly on her heart shaped face, framed by gentle blond curls and bright blue eyes. The same shade Nate shared with her, expect his eyes drifted off once in a while, when memories from the war surfaced-like now.

Hilary placed a hand on her lover's face, causing him to look at her. Nate smiled, warmth returning to his muscular features. "I drifted again, didn't I? I'm sorry." He said quietly, embarrassed as he rested his warm face against her cool hand.

A small smile falls onto her face. "Don't be, I'm used to it." She responded softly, brushing a dark bang from Nate's eyes.

"I agree, though, with what you said-about the stars." Nate blurted out. Realizing how ridiculous he sounded, he hides his face and groans. "Wow, that…that sounded corny." He mumbled.

Hilary takes his hands away from his face and holds them tightly with her own. A spark sparkled in her eye as she looked seriously at her husband. They had been married a good six years now and had grown used to her lover's trait. Though it seemed, he had yet to realize this. "And that's why I love you." She states, smiling, "I love how you act like we're two awkward teenagers dating! But mostly, I simply love you for you." This causes a smile to spread across her lover's face, a smile so addicting it added to her own. He pulled her into a long kiss.

* * *

><p>Raytron's escape pod is only a few clicks from entering the planet's atmosphere. He sighs, <em>Only a matter of time before the nexus is safe.<em> Sentinel's orders to protect the crystal echoed in the young bot's processor, drawing a determined frown from him. If Sentinel believed the nexus was safe elsewhere than the ark, then Raytron would make sure it disappeared. The pod enters the atmosphere and Raytron at first believes all is well. That is, till the pod starts to shake uncontrollably and alarms start sounding off. Raytron's optics dart around the cabin, "Computer, what is going on?" he demanded.

"Calculation error: entered planet's atmosphere too sharply and at too high of speed. Engine one status critical, engine two is offline. Navigation systems failing. Impact imminent." Answers an innocent computerized femme-bot voice.

The bot blinks and then looks down at the crystal. _It can't end like this._ "Suggested course of action?" Raytron asks calmly though he feels intense heat surround him in the cabin.

The computer calculates before responding. "Suggested course of action: escape parachute." The voice responds.

Raytron nearly slapped himself for being so idiotic as to not think of to use the parachute. He places the nexus and the other crystal inside his chest cavity, careful to avoid them from hitting his spark or each other. He finds the lever between his legs and pulls it, bracing for the jolt of the parachute. But when it fails to occur, that's when the fear starts to sink into his systems. Raytron tries fruitlessly to tug the latch free, praying to Primus he'd somehow magically pull it loose.

But in the end, the latch refuses to move and Raytron was now faced with his impending doom. He sighs, defeated as a misplaced smirk crosses his face. "My brother dies a hero's death in the war…and I get to die in some planet's atmosphere." He stated pessimistically. His optics glances up at the computer, "Computer, is there any other course of action?" he asks hopelessly, already knowing ahead of time the answer.

"No other course of action pertaining to escape available. Only one course of action: brace for impact." The calm voice stated innocently as if Raytron was about to die in a fiery crash on a planet of unknown origins. Raytron gulped and braced for the inevitable.

* * *

><p>After the long kiss, the two 36-year olds pulled away and glanced into each others blue eyes before they shared the view of the untouched stars. A star suddenly shot across the sky in a bright declaration before disappearing into the dark realms of space. Hilary catches sight of the star, squealing in excitement. "Oh look, a shooting star! Better make a wish." She said, a mix of joy and wonderment filling her words.<p>

Nate smiled, pulling her closer. "I already have everything I could possibly wish for, that's just as beautiful as the stars up in the sky," he whispered, kissing the top of her head, "You."

A blush fills Hilary's face as she smiles, slightly embarrassed. "Oh Nathaniel Sutherland! I'll love you till those stars burn out." She sighed, hugging him tightly.

Happiness filled the ex-marine as he rested his chine on her head, a smile drifting to his face. "As will I, my sweet heart, as will I." he responds. Their gaze returns to the sky, noticing more shooting stars make their short debut across the sky.

Nate drops his gaze slowly, closing his eyes as he listens to Hilary's wonder filled sound effects. "Nate? Nate, wake up! You have to see this star." She said, excitement dancing across her words, "It's one of the longest shooting stars I've seen!" Nate opens his eyes and glances up. Sure enough, there was the shooting star his lover was referring to. Unlike the other ones, who had lightly skimmed across the sky and faded, this one was different in the sense it was bigger-and seemed to be getting even bigger. "Doesn't it look like it's coming right at us?" Hilary commented suddenly, panic replacing her once calm demeanor.

Nate blinked and realized how right she was. Instinctively, Nate threw his body over his lover, shielding her as he waiting for the object to strike.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Well, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. :) I surprised myself at a couple parts when I improv'd extra details. So hopefully you guys like it.<p>

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